Thursday, January 28, 2016

I think I can safely say that everyone enjoys eating in buffets. Our family in particular. Seeing a huge spread of different cuisines that you can get as many times as you want can be overwhelming, More so when the buffet theme is WAGYU! This is not a fantasy that I'm making up. This is REAL! And you can experience it every Saturday Dinner for the whole year of 2016 only at EDSA Shangri-La's HEAT!

For P2,415 nett, indulge yourself in a buffet with varieties of Wagyu recipes with MAD FOR WAGYU! This is like the Disneyland of Wagyu meat, I'm telling you!

Monday, January 25, 2016

Rain has already started going to school as a Kindergarten student. We enrolled her in school because we felt like she needed an outlet for all her energy and also so she could socialize with other kids rather than stay at home and play by herself. But because of K to 12, the school told us that at Rain's age, she needed to be in Kinder 1 already. I honestly felt she was still so much in the play-only stage and might lag behind in academics. True enough, at the begging of the school year, all she did was act like a supervisor as she walks around the classroom during lectures and just wants to play. But her teacher told me that this was normal and she will eventually reach that maturity age where she would take lessons more seriously. In this second half of the school year, the teacher said she has improved already and hardly picks a fight with the boys anymore ha ha ha *nervous laughter*.

So if you're in the same situation, don't worry, it's normal. And you are not alone! From the ages of 1-4, all toddlers want to do is play. They never get tired of entertaining themselves with toys, and sometimes even make toys out of normal everyday stuff. But too much playing is not a bad thing because as we all know, this is how they learn and socialize. So as much as we like to spoil Rain with plenty Disney toys, (and by "we" I mean me), it is also very important to get toddlers toys that would 1.) be educational, and 2.) would last a lifetime.

Luckily for us here in the Philippines, we have Discovery Depot who provides toys that are not only educational but safe as well for little kids. They provide toys that help with a child's sensori-motor, cognitive, and social-emotional skills for as early as new born until 12 years old.

Take for example Rain's new Counting Balls toy by Wonderworld. I chose to get this for her specifically because she's looks like she's least interested in Math (like mother like father like daughter hahaha). It's a really simple toy but is ingeniously engineered to make counting fun and easier to learn.

Friday, January 22, 2016

When we were in Currimao, Ilocos Norte touring with my Tita as I mentioned in my previous post, We decided to drive to the next province as well just to check out the other things we could do there for the day. There was the very old and beautiful Paoay church, and the Malacanang of the North. But then we also saw signs everywhere that says "Sand Dunes". And so we figured, why not check it out? Who knows when we'll be back in Paoay, right? And I'm glad we did! Because it was one of the coolest experience I've ever had in the Philippines!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

We've stayed in Taal Vista a couple of times already. It's definitely the first place in mind when we think of relaxing in the cool weather of Tagaytay. In fact, it's so cool to look back during our first time at Taal Vista and another family trip 2 years ago when Rain was still small. We've been back plenty times since then. And a lot of nice changes as occurred as well. One of which is Taal Vista's old Magnolia Pavillion which has now been converted to a delicious farm-to-table concept restaurant, Tāza Fresh Table.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

My family, both sides, are both from Ilocos Norte. Bangued, Abra, to be exact. So ever since we were kids, we would go to Bangued every Summer and Christmas vacation to spend time with my grandmother and aunts. But since my Tita Eva has been based in San Fernando La Union, they decided to move there instead. I think I was in 7th grade when they moved. So starting then, we would visit my Lalo Lalo in San Fernando La Union. (Lalo Lalo is what I would call my grandmother when I was a toddler because I could not pronounce "Lola" so that kind of stuck with everyone). Anyway, needless to say, it's been a very long time since we last went past La Union.

Years later, my Tita Eva started working in the states. So when she came back from the states last year to spend her vacation with us, she booked us all a room at Playa Tropical Resort Hotel in Currimao, Ilocos Norte so we could all relax there, including my grandmother, and just have a great time!

Monday, January 18, 2016

Aaaah... The highlight of my Japan trip! (Actually this is tied with the little snow we experienced in Hakone because it was my first time ever to experience snow)

Being a Disney fan, I decided that it would be cool (even cooler if I can make it come true), to visit Disneyland in different holidays. For the simple reason that Disneyland dramatically transforms as well based on holidays. Thus giving you a different experience every time.

Rain, my sister Chai, my dad, my Aunt Bablou, and I were all very lucky to be able to visit Tokyo Disneyland, thanks to my generous Tita Lourdes who gave us a generous treat! The moment the Japan trip was brought up, I was already set that we would not leave Japan without going to Disneyland! <3

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Longchamp is the only branded bag I've grown to love because it's so simple, it's very sturdy, I can just dump my everyday stuff (and that's a lot!) and it still won't look too stuffed. I have to admit I didn't like it at first. But maybe that was because I haven't experienced having one at that time. But when I bought my first ever Longchamp, I slowly felt it was the perfect bag for people like me who have to carry lots of things in their bag everyday, but still look classy but laid back.

I bought my first one at Lazada. It was a LONGCHAMP PLANETES, Large with a long handle. I was worried at first that it might be a fake one. But fortunately, after researching and checking for indicators of a fake Longchamp bag, it passed. And when you hold it it really feels like top quality.

Disclaimer (Update):

Before I go on, I would first like to say that I'm not a bag expert. Everything is just based on my comparison and research on the net.I'm merely a mom who wanted to buy something nice for myself online. And also, I am not guarantying that this online shop sells 100% authentic bags. This is just based on my personal experience :-) As always, buy at your own risk, and do your due diligence in researching before buying :-)

And thank you everyone for sharing your comments! You may be right and this is why I have always been careful not to claim this is original. But rather, show that this one I got, in my opinion, has a good quality, and matched the details i read online. I also tried buying one from Cash Cash Pinoy and boy that one is really fake. From the moment I saw it, I knew already. The brown leather was very shiny compared to the bad I got from Rustans. Like it was laminated with something. But this specific one I got from Lazada (seller name BagsBunny Manila), to me looked good. Again, I'm not guaranteeing this is real nor fake. But quality-wise, very good :)

Child birth is a wonderful thing! And each pain or scar left in our body will always be worth it, all for our little bundle of joy! But of course, I still kind of wish my stretch marks would go away magically.

Apparently there are a lot of ways to treat stretch marks, pitted skin, and cellulite such as creams and cosmetic lasers. And then there's the Dermaroller, which I only heard about recently. Apparently it's a heaven-sent because it's budget-friendly than other skin treatments, but still produces great results.

But first, it may be helpful if we first understand possible causes of skin issues.What Causes Skin Issues
Skin problems are the result of many things like icky toxins in our surroundings or too much sun exposure. And of course, no matter how much we try to avoid the topic, aging is truthfully a major factor. When our skin ages, it stops making enough collagen and elastins to rejuvenate the old cells. It loses elasticity and the cells don't stick together well, leaving unsightly stretch marks. I guess it's the same as metabolism getting weaker as we age. As our body gets older, the skin stops repairing itself as quick as it used to and wrinkles develop. It sucks. I know.So What Exactly Does a Dermaroller Do?
The Dermaroller uses a process called micro-needling or collagen induction therapy to promote skin reparation. This simple-looking hand held device looks like a short rolling pin with numerous medical grade needles. It is rolled across the surface of the skin to create tiny punctures (ouch?). Apparently, the body reacts to the punctures by going into repair mode. In repair mode, collagen and elastin are produced in the actual pores of the skin and new cells are generated. The result is thicker, tighter skin.

The process of micro-needling is like acupuncture, but using multiple needles. The depth of the needles depends on what is being treated. For deeper treatments, it is best to use it with a numbing cream to make it less uncomfortable. That is not really necessary for more superficial punctures.

What Skin Conditions Can Dermarollers Treat?
The answer is quite a few. Various scar types can be treated, such as light surgical, light burn, and acne scarring (I totally need this!). It may not remove them 100%, but it can help reduce them to be less noticeable.

Wrinkles or stretch marks are not exactly a pretty sight, but thankfully with the Dermaroller, these are the most popular skin conditions treated it can treat. Loving this more already.

How Long Does A Dermaroller Treatment Run For?
Every procedure is different, depending on where on specific parts of the body that needs the treatment. It go for as quick as ten minutes or a maximum of 45 minutes. Plus of course, it depends on the severity of the skin issue.

And of course, it also depends on the kind of results you wish to obtain. With mild skin conditions, you may get noticeable results with just one treatment. Scars and blemishes on the other hand will need multiple sessions.

But as always, with any medical issues, always consult a medical expert before anything else. In this case, of course, a consultation from a dermatologist would be smart. A dermatologist would be the best to tell you which procedure is best for your condition. There are other treatment options out there, such as the ones you can see here.

So ladies, be sure to research each procedure first to find which ones suit you and your wallet before deciding. Good luck to us!